Time to Shine

Cool news: for aspiring authors out there Amazon and Penguin have announced today their 2012 Breakthrough Novel Award. And guess what? I'm a judge for YA entries!

If you have a manuscript that you've been itching to get out there - the next month is the time to really polish it to its shiniest, shine. Submissions for the award are accepted from January 23 to February 5.

I'm thrilled to take part in this award and I can't wait to see all the creative magic harnessed in these manuscripts!!!

Now get writing (and revising)!

One Month

It's December 3 that means we're within one month of BLOODROSE's publication date: January 3. In the lead up to the release I'll post a weekly soundtrack teaser, with music and a line from the book (no spoilers though! And not in chronological order - mwaa-haa-haa-haa!)

You should also check out Penguin Teen's Tumblr for more info and teasers leading up to January 3.

Hope you're as excited for the countdown as I am. 2012 here we come!

Week one BLOODROSE soundtrack teaser:

"Waves lapped the shoreline a few yards from where we lounged on the rocks."

Something Special

Exciting announcement! I'm so happy I can share this news: Barnes and Noble will release an exclusive addition of BLOODROSE on January 3 that features additional content. If you'd like to learn more about the Searchers and Keepers and weapons be sure to check it out :)

Leftovers

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I hope you and yours were stuffed to the max of delicious T-Day goodness. My dad said something after we feasted that's stuck with me: "Thanksgiving is always good...but leftovers are awesome."

That got me thinking. I hosted Thanksgiving this year and I love the all-day cooking event it is. Wonderful smells waft through the kitchen and all over the house for hours. And with the delectable scents come so many memories. I love that I make stuffing using my grandmother's recipe. That we eat this weird cranberry marshmallow concoction we call "the pink stuff." I overcooked with purpose, knowing even before my dad said it that he was right. The leftovers are the best.

But it's not just roast turkey sandwiches and reheated stuffing. It's that every time I take a bite of that meal's remains I have a burst of those memories. Leftover from this Thanksgiving and so many Thanksgivings before.

Those are the leftovers for which I am truly thankful and why I anticipate the holidays with joy each year.

Slow

Though the summer lasted well into October - an aberration this far north - fall has finally, and suddenly arrived. When I wake what's left of the dry grass sparkles with light frost. The wind has a bite to it.
And the dark has come.

No longer do I wake to the sun, but instead must force myself out of warm blankets and into the day. My body wants to remain curled, conserving energy, instinctively wanting to protect itself against the oncoming winter.

While Minnesota winters usually last long enough to make one's bones ache, I still enjoy the shifting seasons. My body's reactions to cooling temperatures and brief daylight reminds me that I'm connected to the earth and its cycles.

As Samhain (Halloween) approaches it reminds me to prepare for the dark and the cold. To contemplate and act with measure.

Last Sunday I planted bulbs that in the spring, I hope, will offer beautiful blossoms. Even as winter approaches, the hope of spring and returning warmth remain present.
Wishing you a blessed autumn.

I Know, I Know...

I'm ridiculously behind on the blog - life has just been too busy. However, I'm full of ideas about things I want to blog about AND I'm a week away from my first international book tour. So I hereby promise to you that I will be blogging more soon and I will have pictures from my tour!

Thanks for hanging out with me even when I'm sadly absent from this page. I do miss blogging - this space in one in which I love to write.

If you're wondering where else you might connect with me and my life, I'm more frequently on Twitter and Facebook due to their facilitation of short online engagements!

Until a real blog post - here's a new favorite artist of mine, whose music is oft playing as I write RISE (Nightshade Prequel #2).



Also cool about Zola Jesus - she's a fellow Wisconsinite!

What's the Word

One of the big perks of being an author is spending time with other authors. Of course, we're scattered across the country so sometimes our conversations are through email, Skype, or Twitter. Three fantastic writers: Nathan Bransford, J. Scott Savage, and James Dashner had the brilliant idea to put those conversations online. I was recently a guest on their Wordplay Podcast and you can have a listen yourself.

If you leave a comment on the podcast web site you could win a copy of Nightshade and Wolfsbane!